If you think a medicine you're taking might be causing your depression, you may be right. Certain medications prescribed for various medical conditions do cause such feelings as sadness, despair, and discouragement. And those are feelings that are often associated with depression. Other medicines prescribed for medical problems can trigger mania (excessive elation and joy). That's usually associated with bipolar disorder.

Medications that cause mania or depression appear to alter brain chemicals in some way. And even though the medications may be necessary to treat the condition, the side effect is hardly acceptable. As an example, Accutane, which is prescribed for the treatment of acne, has been found to also cause depression. So have oral contraceptives, anti-hypertensives, and even statins.

What can I do to avoid medicines that cause depression or mania?

The best way to avoid medicines that affect your mood is to know which medicines commonly cause depression and/or mania. Then talk to your doctor to see if it's possible to try another medication. Your doctor should let you know upfront which medicines might cause feelings of depression or mania.

Drugs That Might Cause Mania (Excessive Elation)

The following drugs could cause symptoms of mania:

Antabuse -- This drug is used to treat alcoholism.
Anticholinergics -- These are medicines used to relieve cramps or spasms of the stomach, intestines, and bladder. Examples include Anaspaz, Bentyl, Gastrosed, Levbid, and Symax.
Bromocriptine - Bromocriptine is a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease.
Capoten - People take this medicine for high blood pressure.
Cogentin - This is another medicine used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Corticosteroids - This group of medicines decrease inflammation (swelling) and reduce the activity of the immune system (cells that fight infection). Examples include hydrocortisone, triamcinolone, prednisone, Flonase, Nasocort, Nasonex, Flovent, and Azmacort.
Cyclosporine -- This drug is used to suppress the immune system to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.
Dopar -- This medicine treats Parkinson's disease.
Lioresal -- This is a muscle relaxant and antispastic agent. It's often used to treat multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.
MAOIs - This is a powerful group of medicines used to treat depression. Examples include Nardil and Parnate.
Opioids -- These narcotics are used to relieve moderate to severe pain. They have a high potential for abuse and addiction. Examples include codeine, morphine, Demerol, Darvocet, and Percodan.
Ritalin --This drug is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
SSRIs - Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac, Lexapro, and Paxil are used to treat depression.
Synthroid -- This drug is commonly prescribed as a thyroid hormone replacement.
Tagamet - Doctors prescribe this drug to prevent and treat ulcers, heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach.
Trihexyphenidyl (Artane) - This medicine is used to treat Parkinson's disease.
Yohimbine - This drug treats male impotence.